HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Works March 12 20191
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Public Works and Health Committee
March 12, 2019
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Barbara Brenner called the meeting to order at 1:31 p.m. in the
Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Barbara Brenner and Carol Frazey
Absent: Barry Buchanan
Also Present: Todd Donovan and Satpal Sidhu
1. AB2019-151 QUARTERLY REPORT FROM WHATCOM COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS
Jon Hutchings, Public Works Department Director, gave a staff report and answered
questions on how Public Works Department staff can better and more efficiently deliver
services to the community and identifying long-term barriers to providing the best public
service.
Councilmembers and Dr. Hutchings discussed the expectations of staff in helping
applicants through the permit process; employee satisfaction surveys; the department's
core services; the purchasing policy; the notice of additional requirements; and the public's
distrust of government.
1. AB2019-134 DISCUSSION REGARDING AN ORDINANCE GRANTING DEER
CREEK WATER ASSOCIATION A FRANCHISE AND THE RIGHT, PRIVILEGE,
AND AUTHORITY THEREUNDER TO LOCATE, SET, ERECT, LAY, CONSTRUCT,
EXTEND, SUPPORT, ATTACH, CONNECT, MAINTAIN, REPAIR, REPLACE,
ENLARGE, OPERATE AND USE FACILITIES IN, UPON, OVER, UNDER, ALONG,
ACROSS AND THROUGH THE FRANCHISE AREA TO ALLOW FOR THE
PROVISION OF WATER SERVICES (PUBLIC HEARING ON RELATED
ORDINANCE SCHEDULED FOR THIS EVENING UNDER AB2019-021)
Christopher Quinn, Prosecutor's Office, gave a staff report on the ability to require a
specific service level in the agreement and explained his legal opinion that it would not be
appropriate to seek a procedural limit or service regulation on the association as a term of
the franchise agreement.
Councilmembers and staff discussed existing law that may prohibit a service
regulation in the franchise agreement, whether the County can require compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan in the franchise agreement, whether the County can review an
Public Works and Health Committee, 3/12/2019, Page 1
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association's bylaws and service area plan prior to approval, and making service conditions
and requirements transparent to customers via the franchise agreement.
Brenner moved to hold in committee until the Public Works Department staff can
answer questions from Wynne Lee.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Ayes: Brenner and Frazey (2)
Nays: None (0)
Absent: Buchanan (1)
Tyler Schroeder, Executive's Office, answered questions.
Councilmembers and staff discussed whether there is a deadline for completing the
franchise agreement, allowing the association to attend the meeting and make a
presentation, a list of their letters of denial and how far away those denial were from the
main water line, and getting more information, including: a detailed service area plan with
the current service area, the association's plans for the next five years and longer, whether
the association is complying with the Coordinated Water Service Plan (CWSP) and the
County's Comprehensive Plan, and the association's bylaws.
There was no other business.
ADJOURN
TheMeetingadjourned at 2:30 p.m.
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Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Barbara Brenner, Committee Chair
Public Works and Health Committee, 3/12/2019, Page 2